ἀρετή [ᾰ], ἡ,
goodness, excellence, of any kind, in [[ 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus ] Refs 8th c.BC+] especially of manly qualities, ποδῶν ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνων[[ 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 20.411; ἀμείνων παντοίας ἀρετὰς ἠμὲν πόδας ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι καὶ νόον 15.642] Refs 8th c.BC+]; so of the gods, τῶν περ καὶ μείζων ἀ. τιμή τε βίη τε[[ 9.498] Refs]; also of women, [[ 8th c.BC: Odyssea Homerus Epicus “Odyssey” 2.206] Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. εἵνεκα for valour, [[ 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 8.92: _plural_, ἀ. ἀπεδείκνυντο] Refs 5th c.BC+] displayed brave deeds, [[ [prev. author] 1.176, 9.40. ] Refs]
__b later, of the gods, chiefly in plural, glorious deeds, wonders, miracles, [[ “SIG” 1172, 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 17.1.17; ζῶσαι ἀ. “IG” 14.966, cf. NT.1Pet.2.9] NT+1st c.BC+]: also in singular, ὄψιν ἰδοῦσα ἀρετὴν τῆς θεοῦ[[ “IG” 2.1426 b, compare 3rd c.BC: Isyllus Lyricus 62, “BSA” 21.169,180. ] Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__2 generally, excellence, ἡ ἀ. τελείωσίς τις[[ 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Metaphysica” 1021b20, compare “EN” 1106a15, etc. ] Refs 4th c.BC+]; of persons, ἄνδρα πὺξ ἀρετὰν εὑρόντα[[ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “O.” 7.89, compare “P.” 4.187, 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 9.13, etc.; τὸ φρονεῖν ἀ. μεγίστη 1st c.AD(?): Heraclitus 112] Refs 5th c.BC+]: in plural, forms of excellence, μυρίαι ἀνδρῶν ἀ.[[ 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 13.8, compare 5th c.BC: Gorgias Rhetor et Sophista “fragment” 8, etc.; δικαστοῦ αὕτη ἀ. 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 18a] Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially moral virtue, [[ 3rd c.AD: Democritus Epigrammaticus 179, 263, +others, 5th c.BC: Gorgias Rhetor et Sophista “fragment” 6] Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to κακία, [[ 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 2.1.21, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 500d, “Lg.” 963a, 963cf, 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 60.17, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Ethica Nicomachea” 1102a6, “Pol.” 1295a37, etc.] Refs 5th c.BC+]; good nature, kindness, etc., [[ 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Fragmenta” 163. ] Refs 5th c.BC+]